Part XII: The Taste of Wildfire
by The Paragon
Summary: WANG YO/HAE SOO: The king's archery antics do not sit well with the royal court lady.


**A/N:** **TADA!**

 **I do hope this makes up for the lack of YoSoo moments last chapter.**

 **Go ahead, knock yourselves out!** **;)**

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Running her tongue over her dry lips, she slipped into the king's private study.

At long last, she found him there, alone and tucked behind a large wooden writing desk. He sat amid scrolls and sheets of parchment, brows knitted and his mouth firm in his concentration. By the dim light of the nine-pronged candelabras scattered throughout the room, his features were sharp and his skin almost golden.

He had been avoiding her all afternoon, she knew. The royal court lady was never one for confrontation, but this time around, she had been the one determined to seek him out. Oddly enough, the king had not summoned her into the throne room since the incident with the 4th prince, and when he passed her in the corridors, he had pretended not to notice her.

For the rest of the day, her emotions were left swinging riotously back and forth as she waited for an opportunity to get him alone.

She couldn't take it anymore. Now fully in a temper, she took purposeful steps towards him. Muted anger surged in her veins as she stood in the center of the room.

She waited until she heard the door close behind her before she spoke.

"You absolute bastard. How could you?"

Wang Yo glanced up from his work, seemingly unperturbed. He arched a black brow as he surveyed the incensed woman before him.

"What's this?"

"Back there by the pond, you were aiming at me!" Hae Soo ground out, her voice tight. "Why? What did I do that was so horrid you would try to shoot me down like an _animal_?"

He leaned back in his chair, lips twisting in ill-concealed amusement. "Now, now…let's not overreact."

"How dare you!" she snapped. "How else do you expect me to react?"

If he had grown tired of her, he could have just said so. Why he always deemed it imperative to resort to blood and violence, she would never understand. The man was positively puerile.

"I feel like you've betrayed me! Why would you stoop so low?" she asked, almost in tears. "And don't you dare smirk at me!"

She was rapidly batting back tears, her emotions quickly getting the best of her.

But she would not cry in front of him. Not this time.

Wang Yo raised his eyebrows. "I wasn't aiming at you," he said, absently toying with the heavy gold ring on his finger. "I was aiming at the wolf dog."

Hae Soo shot him a look of pure contempt. "Do forgive me if I find that hard to believe, Your Majesty," she bit out scathingly, "especially since the 4th prince had to throw himself in the way of your arrow to _protect_ me!"

A muscle twitched in his cheek at her mention of his brother.

She was getting under his skin. Good.

"I am not some wild boar!" she said bitterly. "If you were going to kill me anyway, I would've at least expected you to grant me the courtesy of telling me _what_ I'd done wrong! What I cannot comprehend is why you felt the need to simply- "

The king rose from his seat, his chair scraping back noisily on the polished wooden floor.

"I wasn't aiming at you," he repeated, his voice dangerously low. "If I had wanted you dead, you would be. You of all people should know that."

Moving with a predatory slowness, he walked over to where she stood, holding her gaze every step.

Her eye caught the fine embroidery of a golden dragon on his ivory robes as he approached. He was always so willing to show off his status, always so keen to show everyone how superior he was to them, how they could never have what he possessed. Huffing, she looked away.

Warm fingertips hooked into her chin, forcing her to look back in his face till his eyes were level with hers.

"You don't believe me?" he asked with lifted brow. The irate steadiness in his gaze only served to infuriate her further. He spoke slowly, clearly, as if to a child. "I waited till the very last second, until I had his attention…and then I set my arrow loose."

A new anger blossomed in her chest at this revelation. "Why?"

Wang Yo cocked his head. "I was testing a theory," he replied, not letting her chin go, "and it appears I was right."

"To hell with your theory, you could have killed him!"

His eyes narrowed. "Ah, yes…a pity, those quick reflexes of his." Abruptly, his hand dropped from her face. "But you see, little one, I don't think I can always exercise as much restraint as I did today." His eyes glittered dangerously as he moved in closer, hands clasped behind his back.

Hae Soo swallowed, automatically stepping backwards. "What do you mean?"

His face was unreadable as he stepped around her and began to circle her slowly, like a star set upon a course that would not be altered.

Her heart became a wild thing, pounding against a cage.

She couldn't see him, but she knew he was there. He was so close that she could feel his body's warmth. His breathing, more ragged than normal, raised the hairs at the nape of her neck.

"I _mean_ …the wolf dog should be more careful," his voice rumbled behind her, rich and dark. "Wang So will get more than just an arrow wound if he so much as breathes the same air as you again."

His fingers skimmed the back of her neck, then moved to trace the indent of her shoulder. Heat seeped through her shirt and her skin prickled, acutely aware of his barely-there touch and reacting accordingly.

"I am not a kind man, Hae Soo," he said quietly. "Self-control has never been my strong suit, you know this."

Of course she did. She knew that better than anyone.

Leisurely, he trailed his knuckles down the curve of her spine. "Who knows what may happen the next time he pushes me?"

She shivered.

With a suddenness that left her breathless, he grabbed her by the waist from behind and pulled her flush against his body. She could feel the color rising up her neck and spreading like red dye across her face.

He pressed his mouth against her ear. "In fact…perhaps next time, we should give him a show, hmm?"

"Let me go," she whispered, her voice a husky rasp that sounded nothing like herself. She tried to break free – turn so she could see his eyes. But his arm tightened around her and held her still, not paying her any mind.

His hand slowly glided along the silky fabric of her uniform…warm fingers found the deep curve of her waist, and then trailed ever so lightly up her ribs to tease the under curve of her breast…

Her heart skipped a beat and her lips parted in subconscious anticipation.

"What do you say, Lady Soo?" he growled softly, his fingers cupping her breast. She sank her teeth into her lip and closed her eyes, grateful that he couldn't see her face. "Shall we show him how I make you come apart in my arms?"

 _Come apart?_

Her mind was languid, lost in the depths of a nameless sea.

As if to illustrate his point, he gently flicked his thumb over her nipple. A soft whine escaped her throat before she could swallow it down. He sucked in a breath through his teeth.

Her face burned with shame and desire, but clearly he was just as affected by this as she was.

"He should see how I drive you wild," he murmured, his whisper hot and heavy in her ear, "the way you writhe and moan…just for me..."

Her breath caught as she felt his other hand slither down…past her navel…

Lower, lower still…

Her head fell back against his shoulder. Sweet tension coiled in her body as he applied just the slightest pressure through her skirt.

She drew in a shaky gasp.

"Always ready for me…always so willing…"

Then something in her brain seemed to snap. Pushing past the haze, Hae Soo's eyes flew open and she wrenched his hands off, remembering why she had sought him out in the first place. The king was too surprised by her sudden change in response to keep his grip, and she managed to free herself.

She spun and faced him. "You're despicable," she spat with as much vehemence as she could muster.

"And you're a fool if you think I'll ever give you up to him."

He grabbed her face and his mouth crashed down on hers. She struggled against him, beating her fists against his chest, but he locked his arms securely around her waist, pulling her in even closer.

Her noises of protest were muffled as his kiss hardened, deepened, biting her, bruising her, always trying to cause her pain…

She broke away from him and slapped him hard across the face.

Head spinning, Hae Soo tasted blood on her lips.

Wang Yo regarded her with terrifying calmness, his only reaction was a small flinch in his cheek. His harsh breathing and heaving chest betrayed that his composure wasn't as tranquil as he would like her to believe.

Her pulse thundered wildly in her head as she stared at him, fingers lingering on her mouth and her own chest heaving. Good sense and fear icing her bloodstream kept her quiet.

Face stoic, the king turned away from her.

She had pushed him too far this time and she knew it. She watched with bated breath as he silently strode over to the wide wooden desk a few feet away.

With one violent sweep of his arm, he sent ink trays crashing to the floor and scrolls of parchment flying everywhere.

A chill skated up her spine, when he turned back to her. They locked eyes together and she swallowed tightly.

Eyes wide with fear, she backstepped, one foot behind the other, ready to bolt out of there. Alarm bells clanged in her brain as she watched his face grow flush with incredulous fury and a new kind of excitement.

Hae Soo dashed towards the door, but she wasn't fast enough. He looped his arms around her waist in a steel grip, drawing her away just as her fingers brushed against the wooden panel.

She shrieked in panic as he picked her up and threw her over his shoulders. Of course, none of the guards outside would come to her aid. Not when the king was in control of the situation.

Carrying her struggling form, Wang Yo stomped across the room, and plopped her onto the edge of the now empty table. Then he was kissing her again.

He kept one hand on her thigh, to keep her from bolting, while the other burrowed deep into her hair as he tipped her head back and applied himself to her mouth.

It was a long, searing kiss. Hot, insistent and possessive. A kiss she didn't want to accept.

That night, the king would not ask her for her kisses, he would take them.

And for a moment, the world tilted around her. She lost herself in the feeling, in _him_ , as he devoured her with mounting passion. The hand in her hair tugged hard and kept her firmly in place, he groaned against her lips as his kiss turned brutal.

Hae Soo jerked her head away and pushed at his chest and arms. Undeterred, Wang Yo's hot mouth traveled across her cheek…to lightly tug at her earlobe…and then down to place delicious open-mouthed kisses on the side of her neck…

"Stop this," she panted, her words came out in gasps. "Let me go, Your Majesty."

"Never."

"Please, stop…I can't do this anymore."

Abruptly, he shoved her back, and she cried out in shock as she fell back against the wooden desk.

Fear gripped her chest as he proceeded to wrap his long slender fingers around her throat, effectively pinning her against the hard surface.

"So…you would cast me aside? All because of the wolf dog?" he asked viciously. "You still think he has anything to offer you?" His eyes were huge black pools as he loomed over her.

"He loves me."

"Don't make me laugh." His grip on her neck tightened ever so slightly. "Wang So will never make you happy. He can't, he doesn't know you anymore. Not the way I do."

In spite of his anger, she sensed the desperation in his voice and the hungry passion beneath his cruel strength.

"I know who you really are, I have seen you at your worst, broken and at your most vulnerable."

His spare hand slid up her leg and under her skirt, seeking, searching…grazing the sensitive skin of her inner thigh…

"The wolf dog thinks you are a pretty face in a pretty dress in need of rescue. But to me, you are intelligent and capable and loyal. And that makes you a rare breed." Hae Soo was only half-listening, rage and resentment at him clawed at her chest. "I recognize your strength…and I know that you are capable of so much more than he thinks."

Wang Yo roughly squeezed her waist, kneading the supple flesh for a moment before sliding his palm down to feel the lush swell of her hip. "I know," he dropped his gaze, letting it run over her slowly, "every last part of you…"

But she wasn't moved by his speech. "I don't care," she said through gritted teeth. "I don't care about any of that. All you've proven to me today is that you're still a heartless monster!" She pounded her fists against his chest, still trying to get away. "I said don't touch me! For once, why can't you just leave me alone!"

In seconds, he had her subdued again, his fingers bit into her wrists as he pinned them to the desk on either side of her head. "Never," he sneered into her face. "I'll be damned if I let you hold on to him."

His lips descended on hers again and her mouth opened almost involuntarily, welcoming his intimate invasion. She had to fight the sudden inexplicable urge to mold her body against his.

When he pulled away from her, his eyes were a darker, passion clouded onyx.

She stared up at him, heart racing. She couldn't speak, she could barely breathe.

"You need _me_ ," he whispered against her lips and his fingers reached between her legs. "No one else but me." And, _oh!_ Before she could stop herself, Hae Soo moaned.

Satisfaction gleamed in his dark eyes. Her hand itched to wipe that smug smile off his face, but she couldn't think straight, not with his hand down there.

He bent down and nuzzled his way up the side of her neck to nibble delicately at her ear…and then down again to taste the soft sensitive place where her neck met her shoulder. Everything he did now was geared to making her mindless with desire.

Hae Soo's fists relaxed open in sheer exhaustion and her body hopelessly sagged under his in defeat. He was right. It wasn't the 4th prince she thought about when she lay in bed at night in the darkness of her room. Not anymore.

And then it all started to come back to her. The way the 4th prince had looked at her with such betrayal. Such heartbreak. She had never imagined she would ever cause anyone that much pain.

It started off as silent weeping, tears slowly rolling down her cheeks, but before long sobs were soon riding through her chest and bursting out loud through her lips.

Wang Yo's hand stilled as he lifted his head to look at her.

"He hates me now, you know? Because of you."

"Because of me?"

Her voice was breathy and wet with tears. "Because of what you've done…what _we've_ done."

He reached out, brushing her tears away with his thumb.

Guilt and self-loathing flowed through her.

"Can't you see this is wrong?" she whispered, staring at the ceiling. "I betrayed him."

He was silent for a moment.

"The wolf dog deserted you," he said simply. "You had every right to forget him."

Hae Soo refused to understand his reasoning. It couldn't be that simple. He was wrong. He had to be.

She shook her head. "This is all my fault," she sobbed, filled with absolute despair. "I'm a horrible person."

How she hated her helpless tears.

"It's not your fault," he said. She shut her eyes. "None of this is your fault," he told her.

She wanted to pull her arms up and cover her face, but he wouldn't release her.

"If you want to blame someone, you can blame me…for everything. Blame me as much as you please. But I won't see you cry, not like this. Not for him!"

He lifted his other hand to pull out her hairpin, freeing her dark locks from their confines. "Wang So will never have you. You may be certain that I shall make quite sure of that."

Stunned, she flicked her gaze to his face. "How c-can you be so callous?"

"On the contrary, I'm being extremely generous," he drawled with infuriating superiority. "Even if I did let you go…even if he did take you back, you would hate to be parted from me. This false illusion that you cling to would be shattered the moment you step foot beyond these walls."

His fingers stealthily worked at the ties of her jade uniform, slowly undoing them. "Even if you live a hundred years, Soo-yah, you will forever be incomplete. You will always feel lost…searching, _yearning_ for something unattainable. And eventually you will discover misery to be the only thing you know."

She kept very still as he undressed her. She was so tired of fighting all the time. Of fighting _him_. Of fighting, period.

"It will feel as if a part of you is missing, like nothing can ever fill the void. And you know why?" Her shirt fell open as he spoke. "Because that's exactly how I felt until I found you. It's how I feel when you are not by my side, whenever we are apart."

Wang Yo watched the rapid rise and fall of her chest as she breathed hard and fast. With one sharp tug, he drew her chemise down to her waist, completely exposing her to his ravenous gaze.

Hae Soo realized she was licking her lips in anticipation. She saw his Adam's apple bob as he traced calloused fingertips over her breasts, then laid his warm palm on her flat stomach.

"So tell me," he whispered as his touch inched lower, "how can something so pure and all-consuming be _wrong_?" Her skirt puddled around her waist as his hand snaked between her thighs once more. "Why would you subject us both to such agony?"

Anger and hate coursed through her veins, pure and strong.

Even as his hand rested between her legs. She hated him. Even as his fingers started to _move_ , slow and teasing at first…and then faster. She hated him.

But she would be lying if she said that hate was the only thing she felt. No matter how much she didn't want to respond to him, her body was betraying her.

"You need me, Soo-yah…" he whispered, skimming his lips along her jawline. "This is destiny." Something primitive and intense boiled up inside her, a wild sweet yearning centered on the sensation of his fervent ministrations.

He took his time enjoying her, drawing from her lips cry after helpless cry, making her writhe and twist under his knowing touch. Making her skin burn. Making her ache for him. Making her willing. Making her loathe herself more than she could ever have imagined possible.

"You'll never belong to anyone else," he promised, his molten gaze scorching her from head to toe.

She may have possessed the iron-will to ward off mere serpents, but Hae Soo was no match for a dragon.

The king demonstrated this to her…intimately, inexorably, indisputably.

And then she could feel it approach. That unexpected, unwanted bliss…could feel her body tighten, humming with hungry expectation. It was all too much.

Her physical pleasure mounted, but could only push her so far. She hovered on the edge, on the brink of ecstasy, coiled and tense, suspended in limbo, refusing to surrender to it.

It didn't take him long to catch on to what she was doing.

"Stop fighting me, damn you," Wang Yo swore in her ear. "It's yours. _Take it_."

"N-no…I won't," she whispered. "I can't."

"You can and you will," he growled, less pleased than before. He recaptured her lips, redoubling his efforts, making sure that his ruthless kisses left her breathless and gasping.

His wicked mouth moved away from her lips, to pepper feather-light kisses along her jaw, her chin…then down her neck. Hae Soo took in deep, shuddering breaths, which turned to gasps as he trailed his lips over her collarbone before greedily latching on to one breast, and then the other.

Unable to keep herself from reacting to his too-skilled, too-knowing touches and caresses her body began to spiral out of her control.

His liquid brown eyes bore into her own, watching her as her breath quickened in tandem with the unrelenting pace of his fingers.

As she stared into his face, she realized she was doomed. She had fallen for him…as deep as his pitiless black eyes, and long before she was allowed to admit it.

But he could never know. If he did, he would leave her forever, she just knew he would.

"Take it, Soo-yah," he rasped desperately in her ear. "Let go."

Upon his command, the world exploded into a thousand silver shards…she broke apart, shivering into bits as her body thrummed with unadulterated pleasure.

" _Yes_ …that's it," he urged as she shattered in his arms. "That's it…that's it, little one…"

Triumph gleamed in his eyes as he dropped a chaste kiss to her lips.

Later in the night, Hae Soo didn't know how, but they ended up on the floor of his study, laid out on his discarded robes…tangled up in each other's arms and utterly spent. It had all felt so natural, so effortless, so inevitable. Like it had been senseless for her to resist in the first place.

So she clung to him, torn between her head and heart. Because this was destiny and no matter how hard one tried, one could not fight destiny.

There were a hundred and forty-three court ladies in the Damiwon. Two days later, when the king awoke, there were a hundred and forty-two.

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 ***rasps desperately in your ear***

 **"Yes, that's it...let go...leave a REVIEW!"**

 **Until next time, YoSoo familia! :)**


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